Organizations: Knitting items for those in need

Jewel City Knitters Guild of Glendale was founded on Valentine's Day 2003 as a chapter of the Knitting Guild Assn. The local organization's mission is education, philanthropy and creativity. It has more than 25 active members who knit and crochet items for more than 20 local, national and international charities.

This summer, the local group embarked on a Charity Challenge Project to knit and crochet items for the charities listed below. They made baby items for premature and ailing newborn babies at LAC+USC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Olive View UCLA Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Huntington Memorial Hospital. They make baby items for unwed mothers in the local area through the Christ Child Society and chemotherapy caps for men and women nationwide for Knots of Love.

The group also made wool blankets, socks and sweaters for children in Afghanistan through the Afghans for Afghans organization. And for Operation Gratitude they made hats and scarves for service men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church in Montrose. Membership is free and open to knitters and crocheters of any age and any skill level. Yarn is often available free for the charity projects through donations from individuals, yarn shops and yarn companies.

For more information, visit http://www.jewelcityknitters.com (specifically the meetings page) or e-mail Evelyn Van Orden at evelyn@evelynarts.com.

Local children sing with chorus

The Los Angeles Children's Chorus goes global at its annual Winter Concert with a program spotlighting the choral music of 20 composers from 10 nations spanning five centuries at 7 p.m. Dec. 5, and Dec. 12 at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

The "musical tour" includes a Buddhist prayer sung in Japanese, Italian art songs and a Czech piece based on a Moravian folksong, as well as works by J.S. Bach, Benjamin Britten, John Rutter, Omar Macha and Gustav Holst and contemporary composers. Punctuated with holiday spirit as well, the winter concert is part of the choir's yearlong 25th anniversary celebration, commemorating its commitment to educating young people in the choral arts and creating music for audiences.

Winners who qualify will go on to represent their respective schools at district, regional and national competitions. This competition is open to all students who have qualified to represent their public or private schools in the Glendale area. Schools that wish to participate should contact John Jolly, Glendale Hoop Shoot chairman, at (818) 242-2105 or Hoopshoot1289@aol.com.

Three join YMCA board of directors

Wes Seastrom, the chairman of the Board Development Committee for YMCA of the Foothills, introduced three new members to the board of directors at a recent meeting held at the Verdugo Hills Family YMCA. The three new members are Austin Park, Hank Hall and Leah Dilbeck.

Park is a father of two children and has been married to wife Cecilia for 20 years. They have lived in La Cañada Flintridge for 12 years. He is senior vice president of wealth management at Wells Fargo. He earned a masters in business administration from USC Marshall Business School. The family belongs to St. Bede and St. Matthew Catholic churches.

Hall is a judge in the L.A. Superior Court. He and wife Debbie have two children. Hank attended USC for undergrad and Loyola law school. The family belongs to St. Bede. He is a member of the YMCA and a past board member (vice chairman). He has served on many committees, participated in Y-Tribes and was a nation officer for eight years.

Dilbeck is a La Cañada Flintridge resident and a Realtor for Dilbeck Realtors. She and husband Kirk have four children. She received her bachelor's degree from Cal State Northridge. She participates in several YMCA programs and classes including: Y-Winners, running club, spinning classes, swimming, and more. Leah is affiliated with the Mountain Avenue Committed to Kids Foundation.

The Crescenta-Cañada and Verdugo Hills Family YMCAs are a charitable association of YMCAs that offer on-site and outreach programs for families including sports programs, summer camps, preschool, after-school programs, a variety of exercise classes, senior wellness programs, extensive offering of aquatics programs, yoga, pilates and a state-of-the-art workout facility.